Vertebral body spacers are used in response to degenerative disc disease or other spinal conditions to maintain a space between adjacent spinal vertebrae. Typically, the goal of an associated surgical procedure is for the adjacent vertebrae to grow or “fuse” together. A vertebral body spacer is usually made of a biocompatible synthetic material or allograft bone.
Vertebral body spacers have been implanted from anterior, transforaminal, oblique, posterior, and other surgical approaches for a number of years. A lateral surgical approach has also been accomplished. However, the prior implants, instruments, and methods associated with a lateral approach are not optimal.
Existing implants used with a lateral approach may fail to conform to the natural curvatures of vertebral endplates or to the natural anterior curves of the anterior portion of the vertebral body. Instruments and lateral implants are not necessarily suited to efficiently distract the disc space without damaging the adjacent endplates. The shapes of instruments and lateral implants are not particularly coordinated to reduce disruption to the surrounding tissues. Current methods may require significant cutting and manipulation of bone and other tissue.
The description herein of certain disadvantages and problems associated with known devices, apparatus, and methods is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the exclusion of those known devices, apparatus, and methods. Embodiments of the invention may include some or all of the known devices, apparatus, and methods without suffering from the disadvantages and problems described herein.
Methods and devices for performing surgery are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,044, “Devices and Methods for Percutaneous Surgery,” filed Mar. 22, 1996; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/274,856, “Systems and Techniques for Restoring and Maintaining Intervertebral Anatomy,” filed Oct. 21, 2002; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/766,167, “Systems and Techniques for Restoring and Maintaining Intervertebral Anatomy,” filed Jan. 28, 2004; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/792,358, “Instruments and Methods for Minimally Invasive Tissue Retraction and Surgery,” filed Mar. 3, 2004, all of which are incorporated by reference herein. Any of the relevant implants, instruments, methods, or surgical approaches described in the incorporated references that are adaptable for use with components of the present invention and are within the scope of the invention described and claimed herein.